Sense and Response Systems for Crisis Management

A sense and response system senses important changes in the environment and responds to the change. Examples of sense and response systems that deal with securing critical infrastructure are applications that sense and respond to natural and man-made disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, radiation hazards, fires, and terrorist attacks. Pervasive sense and response systems are systems in which sensors and actuators are pervasive across the infrastructure. This chapter deals with systems in which the community helps to sense and respond to rapidly evolving threats. Dense networks of sensors can be deployed with the help of the community. For example, we describe how inexpensive accelerometers deployed in homes and offices can help to sense and respond to earthquakes.